1983 was a landmark year for video games. Dragon's Lair, a cel-animated adventure game, landed in arcades to great fanfare. "It's the most awesome game I've ever seen in my life," claimed some. The full-motion video adventure captivated many, but any subsequent attempts to capture the feeling of playing a cartoon were either lost on most or fell completely flat.

25 years later, Capybara Games, a small studio in Toronto, Ontario, is picking up that long-forgotten torch and re-igniting it. And with a little luck, their effort will shine as a beacon through the fog of process showing that inspiring art and addictive play truly can be united for a complete experience.

With Critter Crunch, Capybara has created one of the most beautiful packages you'll find in a game from any developer; independent or otherwise.

Often times, I find myself wondering why video games so firmly detach themselves from traditional animation. We game in an age of technology bereft of personality.

Not the case here.

Capy's artists have produced some truly astonishing work, especially given their team's size, and should be commended accordingly. Every facet of the game feels polished to a pristine shine and exudes quality. Critter Crunch truly goes the distance to make the player feel like they have a hand in controlling a cartoon for the first time since last year's Castle Crashers (and Jet Set Radio before it).

Krunchatoa, Crunch's setting, is filled to the brim with colorful creatures, each of whom are brought to life through jubilant animation. Main character Biggs is wonderfully animated throughout, and his supporting cast is certainly no slouch. Every critter on your hit-list has a variety of expressions and hilarious reactive animations; it's a treat watching critters on the vines yelp and cringe thanks to Biggs' ensuing hijinks below. Not since Dr. Mario have I witnessed a puzzle game with so much personality.

I also have to shine the spotlight on Biggs for a moment. He feels like a mascot character born to succeed who just might have had he been around 15 years earlier. He's lively, expressive, and adorable; all the qualities a character in his position should have but so few are able to achieve. He easily manages to outshine Sony's own pseudo-mascot Sackboy.

Lastly, I wouldn't be finished gushing without mentioning the backdrops. Never did I dream of a puzzle game's backgrounds being so gorgeous, but Capybara has pulled no punches. Each background is a lavishly-rendered jungle environment punctuated with subtle touches of animation (of note is Ghost Grub Grove, with phantasmal entities reminiscent of those found in Miyazaki's Princess Mononoke 「物の怪姫」). The setting is jungle, and the word is “safari”; these backdrops nail it.

Living on Krunchatoa, everyone has a sunny disposition. Except when you're exploding. In Critter Crunch, Humor is king. My previous mention of expressions must be stated again, because the critters have some truly hilarious reactions to what's happening to them (especially when hit by an Extinctor). Watching the exploring zoologist become more tattered and worn over the course of Adventure mode is a joy to see if only because of how jovial he remains throughout his excursion. Post-game tips are both encouraging and funny, and some of them even go so far as to give Biggs some background history regarding his fall and rise back to fame. Throwaway material for some, I know, but there's a lot of entertainment to be found nestled within the win/lose quotes if you care to look.

All of this, and the game ties a ribbon 'round its neck for the friendliest presentation possible without relying on becoming sickeningly sweet. It stands as an open invitation to more casual players, and it shouldn't be ignored. Anyone can enjoy this game.

That's quite a few accomplishments. And even after all that praise, there's still a game beneath it all. And that's why we're really here.

To put it at its simplest, Critter Crunch is the latest contender in a long line of falling-block puzzle games. The controls are everything we've come to expect from this style of game: tight and responsive. This is due to eschewing any usage of the analogs in favor of controlling Biggs exclusively with the D-Pad. The result is a deliberately old-school control scheme that could be achieved on a Super Nintendo controller. This is where all comparisons to other superficially similar games begin as well as end.

As opposed to relying upon clearing the board to rack up points, Crunch's game schema is, dare I say it, wholly unique. The mechanics driving Critter Crunch's gameplay are those of manipulating Krunchatoa's thriving ecosystem. Players are tasked with throttling food-chains and overfeeding the island's bizarre inhabitants for the sake of Biggs and Smalls, his young.

You ask, “Why?”

Why, overfeeding the critters on Krunchatoa yields precious gems, of course. Precious gems that Biggs and Smalls actually require for nourishment.

Setting aside, what defines Critter Crunch is personal style of play. You can play to simply advance in the Adventure mode, which serves as a loose narrative, campaign-long tutorial, mode-sampling hybrid, or you can focus your energies on garnering high scores through well planned critter explosions. And this is where the game really sets itself apart from the rest.

Critter Crunch is a game of sharp observation.

There are so many possibilities on any single board of any round of Critter Crunch that you have to know exactly what you're looking for and how to act on it to yield the best possible jewels for Biggs to feast upon. Will you go for the foodchain, or is the chain into combo what you're looking for? Maybe you'd just like to pop enough critters for Smalls to appear so you can feed him your iridescent vomit for a point bonus. Ah, parenthood.

Throw in the power foods and items and you have one of the most involving puzzle experiences imaginable. Who knew a game this adorable would be so refreshingly deep?

However, there is a more sinister lining to this beast.

Unbeknownst to most, Critter Crunch's adorable exterior is merely a guise for what becomes, in its later stages, a quixotically brutal game. While the added depth of various critters is greatly appreciated, I imagine their implementation in the later stages will become cumbersome to the point of lividity for most players. This goes doubly so for the casual crowd the game has so warmly invited.

I'm all for a little difficulty in my games. Hell, I welcome a game that can kick my ass. Critter Crunch, however, takes it a little too far in its later stages and ends up transforming from puzzle game requiring calculatory thought to a mad dash to clear the vines before becoming too overwhelmed. Even the lightning-fast responsiveness of the controls do little to help when you're on the verge of failing a level thanks to a wall of Blocker critters. Due to the nature of the game, this will, no doubt, make it too much of a chore to want to revisit these stages to improve your score if climbing leaderboards is your thing as skill becomes largely irrelevant. Thankfully, this is a minor gripe considering the length of time spent getting to that point. Furthermore, if you do find yourself stuck on any single stage, you always have the option to go try out the other available modes whenever you like. Casual progression is at all times welcome.

In addition to Adventure mode are three other game types: Survival, Challenge, and Puzzle.

Survival mode's objective is just that: survive. Your objective is to last as long as possible against the quickening pace of critters on the vines. Time is your enemy, speed is of the essence. Challenge mode's premise is meeting specific criteria to clear a stage. The objectives vary and can be tricky to sustain.

Perhaps the most well developed mode in Critter Crunch is its Puzzle mode. In this mode, you're given a static board and a set number of moves. The object is simple. Clear the board before you run out of moves.

Easier said than done.

Well, that goes for some of them.

I actually believe that this game could have been made available with this mode alone and still been worth its price tag. They're not all mind-benders, and, let's be honest, if they were, it wouldn't be nearly as approachable, but slowly working your way through these puzzles is some of the most satisfying play in the entire package. These sequences are very well crafted, and require an advanced knowledge of the mechanics and chain reactions present in the game. Each must be approached with sheer deliberation.

The multi-player is also a blast and a half. Versus mode introduces new power foods and items designed with one goal in mind: Stop the other player. The most noteworthy of the additions is the mushroom power food. I'll let readers guess why. As for the Co-op, it's everything the Survival mode provides, but with a friend. Better still, Co-op and Versus modes are available both locally via network play.

Lastly, how much is it?

$6.99.

Price shouldn't come into play in a review environment, but, at that price, nobody should miss this. That's a bargain among bargains. There is quality work here that surpasses most retail games, and I gladly would have paid more. With 100 Puzzles, 42 Challenges, and over 40 Adventure levels, this is like getting a carton of M-80's for a song.

Critter Crunch is a sure contender for downloadable game of the year. Its combination of addicting play, beautiful designs, and brimming personality make it one of the most memorable games released on any downloadable platform. Anyone who doesn't buy it is doing themselves a terrible disservice.

Buy Critter Crunch. You shouldn't be disappointed.